My Last Gamble
by Rainbow Breaker
Summary: Everything is quiet after the war. Too quiet, really. Blaise & Draco make a bet that involves kissing a certain Mudblood to kill time. But kissing Hermione Granger has proved to be more difficult then previously imagined. A series of bad ideas and desperate attempts to get a kiss will leave Draco with more than he bargained for. Will Draco win the bet, or will he lose everything?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The 'Blaise and Draco make a bet that involves Granger' cliché. A good one, hopefully I can portray it well. Here's my take on how I think this would actually happen at Hogwarts. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

Making Bets

I sat in the Slytherin common room. A roaring fire was filling the cool, dungeon air with a warm glow. I settled myself more comfortably on the leather sofa. I turned to my friend, Blaise Zabini, before letting out a tired sigh.

"I'm so bored, Blaise," I complained, hoping he had something interesting to talk about. Blaise looked up from his book to give me a withering glance.

"Only boring people get bored, Draco," Blaise quipped. I rolled my eyes at him.

"And you appear so very enthralled with your book," I countered. Blaise considered the book in his hands thoughtfully. After closing it, he placed it gingerly on the table beside his chair.

"So I'm not at the peak of entertainment right now, so what?" Blaise demanded huffily. I sighed as I adjusted myself to settle deeper into the leather of the sofa.

"After the war, coming back to school has been kind of just . . . quiet," I mused. "There hasn't been anything to do." Blaise gave me a superior look as he crossed his arms.

"Well, we can't have a new Dark Lord rise to power every time you get bored, Draco," Blaise reprimanded.

"It's not that I want another war, it's just that life seems kind of dull," I complained as I drummed my fingers on my leg.

"Anything would be anticlimactic after a war, but I admit that I'm kind of bored too. The Wizarding World has been too calm. School life has been boring, and magic has just kind of lost its excitement."

"Exactly," I agreed. "Even being the most influential Slytherin isn't as rewarding as it used to be." Blaise raised a questioning eyebrow at me.

"I hardly think that you're the most influential Slytherin," Blaise told me airily. I scoffed derisively at him.

"And who is, you? Please, Blaise. When the students of Hogwarts think of Slytherin, they think of me," I sneered. Blaise let out a scornful laugh.

"When people think of you, they think of a coward," Blaise said flatly. I gave him a deadly look.

"I may have failed 'You-Know-Who,' but I didn't disappear from the fight. I don't know how you can complain about being bored when you all you did was hide from the fighting," I sneered at him in disdain. Blaise's face clouded over in anger, but he nodded his head. A few moments passed in silence before Blaise started speaking.

"I've got an idea, Draco," Blaise announced. I could hear the slyness in his voice.

"For what?" I questioned. Blaise sat up properly in his chair as he took an official air about him.

"I've got an idea to solve our boredom and determine who the best Slytherin is. It's an idea that will require both cunning and ambition. A bet, of sorts," Blaise explained slowly.

"What is it, and what are we going to bet?" I asked doubtfully. Bets never seemed to turn out well for me.

"We each have to kiss a girl," Blaise said happily. I looked at him in incredulous astonishment. That was the worst bet I had ever heard of.

"That's hardly a challenge, Blaise. Kissing girls isn't difficult for me. Maybe for you. . ." I trailed off with a smirk on my face.

"Let me finish," Blaise demanded. I put my hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Fine," I conceded. Blaise took a deep breath.

"We each have to kiss a girl, but the other gets to pick which girl. It can be any girl that is a student at Hogwarts. Also, this girl must reciprocate the kiss. We'll cast a spell to cause the winner to glow for a few minutes after the kiss; that way we can be sure that the requirements were fulfilled. And let's say that the winner gets 15 galleons?" Blaise suggested.

"That's all the money you can bet?" I drew my face into a sneer. I really needed money, as I was rather low on funds. As long as we were making bets that I was sure to win, I might as well get some money out of Blaise.

"Fine. 50 galleons," Blaise said crossly.

"Alright," I agreed, glad that something was finally happening again. "And the loser?"

"The loser has to sit at the Hufflepuff table for the rest of the school year," Blaise said. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Eating with the Hufflepuffs is your idea of a punishment?" I asked him. Blaise looked down his nose at me.

"Everyone else would agree that it is," Blaise clasped his hands together. My face curled into a sneer, but I nodded my head.

"Alright," I conceded.

"We both have one week as of midnight tonight. Agreed?" Blaise extended his hand. A smile crossed my face as I shook his hand with mine. A magical glow encircled our clasped hands as Blaise waved his wand.

"I'll choose first," I told him. Blaise nodded his head and waited in anticipation.

"Who do I have to kiss?" he asked me. I felt a glint shine in my eyes as I considered which girl to choose for Blaise.

"The Weaslette," I declared. Blaise scrunched his nose at me.

"She's a Blood Traitor," Blaise pointed out, the disdain dripping from his cold voice. I sighed happily.

"But you said that I got to pick. Just consider it a little extra challenge to your cunning and ambition," I smirked at him. A thoughtful look crossed Blaise's face.

"A Blood Traitor? Alright then, I've got the perfect girl for you," Blaise smiled. I felt a minor pang of apprehension but braced myself for whatever he had to say.

"You can't scare me, Blaise. Kissing girls doesn't scare me. Who is it?" I asked him. The fake confidence in my voice sounded a little forced, but I was hoping that he wouldn't notice that. Blaise's eyes darkened a little as a grin of malice crossed his face.

"I'm going to be 50 galleons richer," Blaise declared. I looked at him sharply.

"Just tell me, Zabini," I hissed. Then came the words that would end my life. Two little words that without context would be completely harmless.

"Hermione Granger."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. Honestly made me smile because I wasn't so sure about this story. Thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

Turning on the Charm

DAY ONE

I saw her down the corridor. Hermione Granger. Resident Know-It-All, Bookworm, Mudblood, but most importantly the girl I had to kiss. I took a deep breath as I reviewed my plan.

Granger was a simple type. She read, she did her homework, and she helped her friends. Surely she was desperate for a little attention. All I had to do was turn on the charm, and kissing her would be no big deal. In fact, if I showed her a little interest, she would probably kiss me happily.

I squared my shoulders as I walked up to her.

"Hello, Granger," I greeted her with a smile. Her dark eyes widened in surprise.

"Malfoy," she said curtly. She adjusted the over-sized bag on her shoulder nervously as she looked at me in puzzlement. I eyed the bag warily.

"Can I carry your bag for you?" I asked her politely. Granger's eyebrows shot up.

"No," she said flatly as she tried to walk around me.

"Granger," I called as I easily caught up with her, "what's wrong with me carrying your bag?" She gave me a judgmental stare as she pursed her lips.

"Why do you want to carry it, Malfoy? You can't copy my Potions homework. The professors aren't stupid. They'll notice the duplicate work," Granger said primly. I rolled my eyes at her naivety.

"I don't want to copy your work, Granger. I did my own," I replied. Granger's face contorted as she considered that.

"Then why on earth do you want to carry my bag?" she asked. I sighed in exasperation.

"I just wanted to do something nice for you," I told her. It was almost the truth . . . Almost. Granger's face twisted into what appeared to be her best attempt at sneer.

"You don't do nice things," she pointed out harshly. I flexed my fingers as I thought about that one.

"Granger," I chided her, "surely, you aren't still hung up on old prejudices. War changes people, you know." It seemed that my words had hit a mark.

Granger appeared to be fighting an inner battle. The emotions raged on her face as I watched in silence.

"Alright, Malfoy," she said tiredly. She took the bag off of her shoulder and handed it to me. I smiled in victory until I put her bag on my own shoulder.

"Merlin, Granger," I exclaimed. "How many books do you have in here?" Granger nervously twisted a curl of her hair in her fingers.

"No one said you had to carry my bag, Malfoy. Give it back," she reached out her hand. I shifted my shoulder away from her.

"No, I've got it," I muttered sullenly. Granger appeared to take amusement in my suffering. A smile was curling her lips. My plan was working to perfection.

"Did you have trouble with our essay?" Granger asked me casually as we walked to class. It was my turn to be shocked. Granger and I were in no way on a friendly-basis. Small talk was simply not done between us. I mentally shook myself to respond to her question.

"No, I thought it was rather easy," I admitted slowly. "What about you?" Granger smiled happily.

"I thought it was rather simple as well," Granger chirped. "Harry and Ron were completely at a loss, though. You would not believe how long it took Ron to get his first paragraph done." I tuned Granger out as she continued to drone on merrily about her friends. It was odd. I would have never pinned her as the chatty type.

She talked the entire way to the Potions classroom. I pulled the door open for her and waited for her to enter first. She shot me a quick look before shrugging her shoulders and going inside. She turned around to face me and to get her bag back. We were about five minutes early, so we were the only two in the classroom. It was the perfect opportunity to win the bet.

"Thank you for carrying my bag, Malfoy," Granger said politely as she stretched out her hand to take it from me.

"You're welcome," I told her. I tried to smile again. She looked at me in puzzlement.

"Are you alright, Malfoy?" she asked me sincerely.

"Perfect," I drawled. A motherly look of concern crossed her face as she put her hand up to my forehead. I quickly shook her hand off and shot her a questioning look.

"I was checking your temperature," Granger admitted sheepishly. I took her bag off of my shoulder and took a step closer to her.

"Here's your bag, Granger," I said quietly. She observed me silently as she reached for her bag. Her eyes darted nervously to my lips as I took another small step towards her.

I was finally close enough to Granger. I was about to lean in when the Potions door opened, and the rest of the Golden Trio walked in. Granger and I sprang apart.

"Thanks again, Malfoy," Granger blushed as she rushed to sit next to Scarhead and Weasel. I sighed in defeat as I found my seat on the other side of the room. I had just settled into my chair when I heard violent shouting coming from outside of the classroom.

"If you ever come near me again, Zabini, Merlin help me," The Weaslette threatened as she stormed into the Potions class. Blaise followed closely behind her.

"I told you. Call me 'Blaise,' Love," Blaise said happily as he took the seat next to mine. The redhead shot him a dark look before sitting next to Potter.

"So, I see that you aren't glowing," Blaise mused as he turned to me. "I assume that attempt one was unsuccessful?" I nodded my head sadly.

"And I heard about your failure from all the way in here," I retorted. Blaise nodded happily as he rubbed his hands together.

"She's in denial," Blaise sighed contentedly. "She loves me." I shook my head at Blaise. I had just picked up my quill when I felt someone watching me. My eyes drifted up to lock with Granger's dark ones. A blush blazed across her cheeks as she quickly looked away. I dropped my quill and rubbed my temples in a frustrated manner.

This was going to be a long week.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you! Ok, quick defense of the story. I don't think that flirty Draco is necessarily OOC Draco, especially when he's flirting for a bet. But I could be wrong. It's happened before. Anyway, thank you so much for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

You're a Keeper

Day One

Class went downhill from there. Professor Slughorn walked to the front of the room with a smile across his lips.

"Alright, everyone settle down," he said happily. He took out a roll of parchment and faced us all. A smile was still screaming across his face.

"Today we will work on our Potions essays," Slughorn announced. "Each of you should have written your essays, and today, a classmate will review them. Please go work with your partner after I call you names." I mentally groaned. Potions class should have been about magically combining liquids, not proof-reading essays. Slughorn was nothing at all like Snape.

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter," he called. Scarhead and Weasel exchanged grins. I restrained the urge to vomit.

"Miss Weasley and Mr. Zabini," Slughorn announced. Blaise's face was lit up in excitement, but the redhead smacked her forehead with her hand.

"I could win this bet today," he whispered to me before moving to sit with the Weaslette.

"Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger," Slughorn called. I mustered up my courage. I had to get Granger to kiss me, and it had to be soon. I was fighting against that blasted romantic, Blaise. It was a battle of cunning, and I didn't have much time.

"Granger," I greeted her as I dropped my bag to the floor by her overly stuffed one. I flopped down in the chair next to hers.

"Malfoy," she greeted politely, but she was blushing. "Shall we just swap papers, then?" She held her roll of parchment out to me. I took it from her hand and gave mine to her.

I carefully unrolled her parchment.

"Merlin, Granger," I exclaimed. "You've done twice the work we were supposed to." Granger tilted her chin up at me in defiance.

"I wanted to be thorough," she defended. I nodded my head.

"Well, it's a job well done," I half-heartedly congratulated her. Granger gave me a happy smile. She set to work to read my essay, and I sighed in resignation as I began the tedious task of reading hers.

We were both done before the rest of the class. I liked to read, and Granger's writing over magical diffusion was rather interesting. Well, as interesting as such topics can be.

"What did you think?" Granger asked me nervously. I smirked at her.

"I never thought of you as the insecure type, Granger," I teased. Granger clamped her mouth shut.

"I'm not insecure!" She huffed. "I just wanted to know what you thought about it." I looked down at her parchment in my hand.

"It was good, Granger," I told her as I handed the essay back to her.

"Really?" she asked me brightly. I nodded my head.

"You managed to make a boring subject almost interesting," I drawled slowly. Granger rolled her dark eyes but smiled at me.

"Yours was good too," Granger complimented lightly. I felt the pride well up in me. "I used my wand to correct the mistakes." I shot her a look.

"What mistakes?" I demanded. Granger shrugged her shoulder.

"Grammar, mostly. You also had some incorrect information, but I corrected it for you," Granger said studiously.

I took the parchment back from her and set it down in front of me. There was really nothing for Granger and me to do. We had completed our assignment well before the rest of the class. It was time to attempt to get her to kiss me.

"Granger, do you play Quidditch? Because you're a keeper," I winked at her. Granger's brow furrowed.

"Oh, no. I could never play Quidditch. I hate flying, and the entire game is practically set up for the injury of the players. Should I ever play Quidditch, though, I would never be a Keeper. I think I'm more cut out for a Seeker," Granger said innocently. I brought a hand to my forehead.

Didn't Granger know flirting when she heard it? How could she be so smart, yet so clueless?

"You're odd, Granger," I muttered to myself. I could tell that she misinterpreted my comment when she huffed angrily.

"Just because I'm magical, doesn't mean that I have to love Quidditch," Granger yelled. Slughorn sent her a disapproving look. Granger quickly shut her mouth and sank into her seat.

The silence began to reign again as I tried to think of something to say. Granger twirled her fingers through her brown curls before quickly rising to her feet.

"I'm going to ask Slughorn if I may be excused. Goodbye, Malfoy," Granger said as she picked up her bag. She handed her essay to Slughorn before disappearing into the corridor.

I slumped into my chair. My failure was a bit overwhelming, but I couldn't take all the blame. That bushy-headed bookworm didn't even recognize when people flirted with her. I definitely had my work cut out for me. I glanced over to see how Blaise was faring.

"I told you to get that away from me, Zabini," The She-Weasel stared.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Blaise said innocently. The Weaslette forcibly took a vial out of his clenched fist.

"Keep this Love Potion away from me," the redhead seethed.

"Fine," Blaise said lightly. "I don't need it anyway." The She-Weasel tilted her head.

"What are you talking about now?" She asked him. Blaise smiled at her.

"There's no need to create the feeling, Love. It's already there. What I really need is some Veritaserum to get you to confess your feelings for me," Blaise explained to the redhead.

"If you come near me with a potion of any kind, I will end you," the Weaselette threatened darkly. I gathered my papers together as I prepared to leave the room.

Bets never went well for me.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. I'm enjoying writing this as it is so lighthearted. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

A Tradition

Day Two

Day Two dawned dim. Being nice to Granger had proved to be worthless. Perhaps no one ever gave her any extra attention because she had no idea what to do with it. I was going to have to try something else.

I reviewed everything that I knew. Granger was a Gryffindor, a girl, a Know-It-All, and a real pain. None of these facts were very helpful to me, though one did catch my eye.

Granger was a girl. Girls liked flowers. Girls liked pretty things. Girls were normally sticklers for tradition. All I needed was a tradition that would require Granger to kiss me.

My mind raced furiously as I tried to think of a tradition that would work. I came up blank. I was going to have to talk to Granger.

I scanned the Great Hall for a head of bushy hair. She was eating happily with her friends and laughing at Potter. I stared at her as I waited anxiously for her to leave.

As soon as she got up from the Gryffindor table, I was on my feet and following her. I stumbled out of the door and quickly grabbed her in the corridor.

"Granger," I said as I caught her elbow. She looked up at me in surprise.

"Do you need something, Malfoy?" she asked as she tried to work her arm free.

"Umm, yes," I affirmed as I dropped my hold on her elbow. She stared at me in expectation.

"Well?" She asked. I let out an anxious laugh.

"Oh, umm, right. Well, umm, what is your favorite tradition?" I asked her bluntly. Granger stared at me with her dark eyes swirling in question.

"My favorite tradition?" she asked me slowly. I nodded my head in affirmation.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked her eagerly. Granger tilted her head to the side as she scanned my face.

"Why do you need to know?" she asked me. I panicked to find an excuse.

"It's extra credit," I lied smoothly. "I'm writing an essay on traditions for extra credit." Granger raised an eyebrow.

"For what class?" she wondered. I let out a grunt of frustration. This girl was being so uncooperative.

"For Merlin's sake, woman. Quit prying into my personal life and just answer the question!" I cracked under the pressure. I was normally a brilliant liar, but lies are like an art form to me. They take time, and they can't be rushed.

Granger looked taken aback at my outburst but swallowed bravely. She brushed some of her bushy hair out of her eyes.

"So, just any tradition that is my favorite?" She clarified. I nodded my head. Granger stared at a portrait of a horse while she considered.

"Yes, preferably one that ends in a kiss," I added. Granger looked at me like I was mental.

"A wedding?" she suggested. I let out an exasperated sigh. There was no way I would go through an entire wedding just to get her to kiss me.

"How about holidays?" I asked her. "What's your favorite holiday?" A glazed look came over Granger's eyes as she remembered something. She stared wistfully out of the stain glass window.

"I know that as a Witch I should say Halloween," she breathed, "but I love Christmas." Alright. I could work with that. I could work with Christmas in October.

"Thank you, Granger," I said curtly as I disappeared from the corridor, leaving her confused.

I racked my brain for kisses that were associated with Christmas. I didn't think of any. I was walking to Transfiguration class a little depressed when a thought came to me. I mentally slapped myself for my stupidity. Every Christmas involved mistletoe.

A plan was rapidly developing in my mind. I had to find mistletoe, but I had no idea where I would get it. Holidays at my house were always a little . . . forced, so I had never even observed Mistletoe up close. I was going to need help.

Two hours later found me in a dim corridor. I had used copious amounts of Spell-o-tape to secure numerous bunches of mistletoe from the ceiling. There was absolutely no way that Granger could miss the mistletoe, and as a girl, who by definition was a believer in tradition, there was no way she could avoid kissing me.

I watched in badly contained excitement as she walked towards me.

"Hello, Granger," I called happily. A strange itching had started to occur in my hands, but I brushed it off distractedly.

"Malfoy," she said flatly. She didn't look very pleased to see me so I offered her a smile.

"It's funny how you said that you liked Christmas so much," I told her. She bit her lip in confusion.

"Really? Why is that?" She asked uncertainly.

"Look," I pointed to the ceiling above us. "The entire ceiling is covered in mistletoe!" Granger tilted her head back before she started laughing. I was completely bewildered by her reaction, and my hands were itching even worse now.

"First of all, Malfoy," Granger said once she caught her breath. "I hate the mistletoe tradition. People should kiss because they want to, not because a plant tells them to." Oh. Well, that was an unforeseen twist. I should have known that she would be just as insufferable about traditions as she was about everything else.

"And second," she continued, "that's not mistletoe." I tilted my head to look at the ceiling, scratching furiously at my hands. It was green and leafy. I honestly saw no difference

"What is it?" I asked her curiously. A smile crossed Granger's face.

"I believe that is Poison Ivy," Granger said primly as she looked down her freckled nose at me. I felt my heart sink.

"Is there any traditions about Poison Ivy?" I asked her quietly; the hope refusing to leave. Granger laughed again.

"Only that if you touch it, your skin will itch," she laughed as continued to walk down the corridor. That explained the irritation of my skin.

The itching in my hands was growing steadily worse, so I took my downtrodden soul to the Infirmary. After avoiding a lot of embarrassing questions, Madam Pomfrey immediately patched my hands up. I walked away with a resolution firmly in my mind.

I was going to kill that idiot, Neville Longbottom, for his stupid mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Yay for the next chapter! Anyway, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. It's nice to see you all seem to be enjoying this. Thank you for reading. **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

A Little Research

Day Two

My mission earlier that morning had proved unsuccessful. All I had to show for my hard work was a magically healing rash, and Longbottom's cries to spare his life. His eyes gleamed guiltily, but I tried to rationalize it as fear. I was burning time, and I had to try something new.

I was sitting in the library trying to focus on my Transfiguration homework when a thought came to my mind. Maybe since Granger was such a bookworm, I could research how to get her to kiss me. Maybe Muggles had different relationship ideas than normal people did. I got up to rifle through the rows of books. I gently thumbed through the many titles that littered the shelves. Finally, I stumbled upon the _Muggle Studies_ section. I wrinkled my nose in distaste, but gathered several books from the shelf.

I settled myself back into my seat and opened the first book. It was completely useless. It appeared to be a Muggle science text of some sort. I discarded it immediately.

I was well into my next book when I felt a presence next to mine. A scowl worked its way onto my face as I prepared to rid myself of the nosy intruder. I glanced up into the dark eyes of Hermione Granger.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" She asked me curiously. I saw her try to leaf through my Muggle books. I gently brushed her hands away as I tried to hide the titles.

"Nothing," I said evasively as I began to pull all of the books away from her.

"These books are over Muggle subjects," Granger mused as she snatched a book away from me. I stuttered to find a logical explanation.

"Yes, I, umm, I'm doing research for an essay," I told her. Granger narrowed her eyes at me.

"You aren't enrolled in _Muggle Studies,_" she pointed out. I sighed resignedly.

"Fine. I wanted to do research on Muggles," I confessed. Granger's entire face lit up in a smile.

"Really?" she asked as she sat across the table from me.

"Yes," I told her shakily. Granger beamed as she sifted through the books. A frown creased her brow.

"You've got the wrong books entirely," she said studiously. "You'll want to get behavioral and psychological subject matter. Right now you have Muggle science and architecture." I felt my face heat up as she rose to her feet. She disappeared for a few minutes before returning with an armload of books. She dropped them unceremoniously on the table in front of me.

"These should be much better," Granger smiled. She moved to sit on the bench next to me. This was a rather unexpected development.

"Thank you," I muttered. Granger picked up the first book. She flipped through its yellowed pages before turning to me.

"Now, what exactly would you like to know about Muggles?" Granger folded her hands professionally in her lap. A blush crossed my face.

"Nothing," I said darkly.

"Oh, come now, Malfoy. I might be able to answer the questions that aren't addressed in the books," Granger offered graciously. I felt my shoulders sag. Well, Granger would know the answer to the questions I had, but Merlin knew what she would do to me for contriving ways to kiss her.

"Umm, what can you tell me about Muggle relationships?" I asked her, hoping to keep my inquiry as vague as possible. I could tell that I had made a mistake by the way Granger's eyes lit up.

"Draco Malfoy! Do you like a Muggleborn?" she questioned. I felt my jaw drop.

"What? No. No, of course not," I argued. Granger gave me a knowing look.

"Who is she, Malfoy? I promise I won't tell," Granger edged closer to me excitedly.

"No, I," I trailed off nervously. Granger patted my hand comfortingly.

"It's alright. I guess that was a rather personal question. You don't have to tell me," she assured, but her smile was still firmly planted on her face.

"Granger, you don't understand," I tried again, but she had stood to her feet.

"I've got to go, but I'm very proud of you, Malfoy. Harry and Ron say that you haven't changed, but war changes people. Good luck with your Muggleborn and ask me for help anytime you need it," Granger gave me one final smile before skipping away. I held my head in my hands. This was insanity.

I regained my composure and began to sift through the books that Granger had brought me. They were all rubbish. I flipped through a Muggle medicine book. It was completely barbaric. To think that Muggles allowed other Muggles to hack them open and then to sew them shut was disturbing. I was about to close the disgusting book when my eyes fell upon a rather interesting title. _Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation. _How intriguing.

I quickly read through the entry. It appeared that Muggles would revive drowning people by putting their mouth on said person who had drowned. Wonderful. A haphazard plan quickly concocted in my mind.

Tomorrow, I would 'drown' in the lake. Granger would be there to witness the whole thing and, being the goody-two-shoes that she is, would save me from the lake. But, alas, it's too late for my poor soul, so Granger, the Muggle, would save me the first way she thought of. Mouth to mouth. It was completely fool-proof. I walked out of the library a much happier man. By sunset tomorrow I would have won this bet.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for reviewing, favoriting, and alerting! It makes me happy. Thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

Drowning

Day Three

Everything was falling into place. It was Friday afternoon, and it appeared that the entire school was outside to enjoy the sunshine. The Golden Trio was huddled up by the lake talking about something. I sought out the opportunity.

I crept through the bushes around to the other side of the lake. I was momentarily distracted by a heated argument that was taking place in front of my eyes.

"Did you honestly just try to kiss me?" The Weaslette screeched as she pushed a rather frazzled-looking Blaise Zabini away from her.

"So what if I did?" Blaise asked her calmly. The Weaslette tucked a piece of vibrant red hair behind her ear.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." The Weaslette muttered. She was eerily calm. She had her hand drawn out and was jabbing Blaise in the chest. He put up in his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Just one little kiss and then I'll leave you alone forever," Blaise promised her. The redhead started to shout something at him, but I had to continue with my mission.

I walked through the bushes, coming out roughly in front of the group of Gryffindors. I made sure that Granger was watching me before I began my journey.

I was walking serenely around the water with a contemplative look on my face. I slowly climbed a rock that hovered over the water. It was time to begin my act.

I clambered to the top of the rock and stood precariously on the edge.

"Malfoy," I heard Granger call, but I pretended not to hear her. I hung my toes over the edge. How was I going to fake falling in?

"Malfoy," Granger called again, this time a little louder. I was considering my next when a bee materialized in front of me. I acted out of reflex as I tried to bat the bee away.

"Stupid bee," I said as I flailed my arms in an attempt to get rid of it. In my struggle, I lost my footing and slipped off the rock.

"Malfoy!" Granger screamed just before I plummeted into the icy water. The frozen waves crashed over my head. The silence encompassed me as the cold water surrounded my body. Honestly, I was too shocked to kick back to the surface, so it was rather easy to fake drowning. My body lazily drifted towards the surface as my lungs began to burn for air. A slender hand reached into the water and pulled me back to the shining surface.

I closed my eyes against the sun. Soon, my head burst into the air as I quietly let it fill my lungs.

"Oh no," Granger shrieked as she set me on the banks of the lake. I could feel her kneel down next to me.

"What's happened to him?" Potter asked as he pushed his way through the noise surrounding me.

"He fell into the water, and I'm not sure if he's breathing," Granger said professionally as she leaned closer to me. She placed her ear on my lips. I held my breath as her hair tickled my face.

"What should we do?" Potter asked anxiously.

"Dance upon his grave?" The Weasel suggested.

"Ron!" Granger shrilled. I had to fight back the smirk that was edging onto my face.

"Well, I do know one way," Granger said cautiously. She leaned over me again. I braced myself for Granger's lips to save me. A sharp stick jabbed me in the throat.

"Enervate!" Granger cried. Enervate spells are tricky things, really, but when nothing is wrong with you, they're downright painful.

"It didn't work," the Weasel mused.

"What's going on?" I heard Blaise's voice break through the crowd.

"Malfoy fell into the water, and he's not breathing," Potter filled him in. I could almost hear the smirk on Blaise's face.

"Not breathing?" Blaise asked. "What's the Muggle solution, Granger?" Oh Merlin, no.

"Umm, I suppose that cardiopulmonary resuscitation would be used," Granger said slowly.

"What?" Blaise asked blankly.

"Mouth to mouth," Granger said flatly.

"I'll do it!" A shrill voice sounded from the noise surrounding me. The earth shook as Millicent Bulstrode fought her way to the front of the crowd. My stomach turned in revulsion. Millicent knelt to the ground beside me.

This charade had gone on long enough. With a hacking cough, I miraculously sat up. Everyone around me stared in surprise.

"Oh, Draco," Pansy emerged from the crowd. "You're alright!" She wrapped her arms around my neck. Blaise quickly peeled her off of me.

"Give him some space, Pans," Blaise said with amusement. "He almost _died._" I shot Blaise a firm look.

"Looks like your spell worked, Hermione," the Weasel mused. He patted her on the shoulder.

"Hermione saved your life, Malfoy," Potter said harshly. I stood to my feet. My hair clung to my forehead, and my robes were dripping wet.

"Thank you, Granger," I drawled slowly. Hermione just waved her hand.

"Are you sure you're alright, Malfoy?" she asked me. The sincerity in her voice almost made me feel guilty for scaring her.

"I'm fine," I reassured. She looked at me uneasily.

"I'll walk you to the infirmary, just to be sure," Granger said. She grabbed me gently by the arm and pulled me up the hill. I shot Blaise a self-satisfied smirk over my shoulder. He just shook his head and smiled.

"I'm fine, honestly, Granger," I tried to shake her hand off of me once we were inside the castle walls. She relinquished her hold, but a thought hit my mind. I reached out to her hand again and deftly inter-laced my fingers with hers.

"But thank you for everything," I said softly. A blush raged across Granger's face, but she didn't let go of my hand. I smiled to myself in satisfaction.

"Here you are, Malfoy," Granger calmly withdrew her hand from mine as we came to stand in front of the Hospital Wing.

"Thanks for walking me, Granger," I said silkily. Granger shot me a smile.

"Anytime, Malfoy," she said happily. I was about to lean in for a kiss when she continued. "Make sure Madam Pomfrey checks your head. I think you must have bumped it." And with that she was gone skipping down the corridor.

I sighed to myself as I slithered back to the dungeons.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted. It means a lot to me. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

Making a Bet

Day Three

It was time to become more assertive with my plan. If I couldn't use Granger's good side to trick her into kissing me, maybe I could make her believe that she had a bad side. Kissing me would be reckless and dangerous, just like her stupid Gryffindor classmates liked to be. The problem was getting her to believe that. I was plucking up my courage as I walked to the library. Only Granger would be reading inside on a day as lovely as this.

"Hello, Granger," I said as I sat down. Granger quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Are you feeling better, Malfoy?" Granger asked politely. I nodded my head vigorously.

"Much better," I told her. She smiled as she continued to read her book again. I felt the frustration rise up in me. I felt as if I were competing with that blasted pile of papers.

"Did you need something?" Granger asked me after she noticed that I was still sitting there. My mind raced as I tried to think of something.

"Do you ever gamble, Granger?" I asked her smoothly.

"Is this another question so you can date your Muggleborn?" Granger smiled at me. I felt the sneer work onto my face.

"No, no. I just wanted to know if you gambled," I clarified. A cross look passed across her face.

"Of course not, Malfoy. Gambling is immature," she said primly. I ran a hand through my hair.

"So, you mean that you're afraid?" I teased. She jerked her head up.

"I mean that I'm not going to chance my money on something that I can't be certain is going to happen. It's foolish," Granger looked down her nose at me.

"Where's that famed Gryffindor bravery?"I mocked her. She slumped in her chair.

"I am brave," she defended weakly.

"You really are a sorry excuse for a Gryffindor," I taunted lightly. "They are rumored to be brave to the point of recklessness." Granger bit her lip in consideration.

"But gambling is reckless," Granger said quietly. I nodded my head.

"And by definition, it's the perfect Gryffindor thing to do," I told her. It was a struggle to keep my face carefully blank.

"What kind of bet are we talking about?" Granger asked cautiously.

"I don't think you're ready for a full-out gamble, Granger," I told her patronizingly. She sat up straight.

"Of course I am!"Granger shouted as loud as she dared in the library. She slammed her book shut with a snap. I leaned back in my chair as I considered.

"Best not to push it, though. You're only a beginner. Let's start out with a simple dare," I told her superiorly. Granger rolled her dark eyes.

"Fine. What's the dare?" Granger asked huffily. I quickly decided if this was what I really wanted to do. Losing was not an option. Frankly, my assets were frozen as my family had fallen from grace, so I didn't even have the galleons. Then there was the fact of sitting with the Hufflepuffs. That was just humiliating. Not even the Hufflepuffs enjoyed sitting at their table. I decided that I had to do it.

"I dare you to kiss me," I said as emotionlessly as possible. Granger looked taken aback.

"Excuse me?" she whispered. I worked a smirk onto my face.

"You heard me, Granger," I reiterated slowly. "Kiss me." Her face lost all of its color. She remained frozen in her chair as she stared at me incredulously.

"What kind of dare is that?" she demanded quietly. I shrugged my shoulder.

"We hadn't set up any stipulations," I pointed out. Granger bit her lip. I could almost see her brain working. Sighing, she leaned forward.

I bent my head forward in expectation. I was going to win. Granger's lips were centimeters from mine, when she turned her head and pecked my cheek. I jerked my head back.

"What was that?" I asked her incredulously. A smile curled Granger's lips.

"We didn't set up any stipulations," Granger echoed my previous taunt. I slumped back in my chair.

"You're Slytherin, you know that, Granger?" I asked her incredulously. Granger just kept smiling at me.

"I do have a lot of ambition," she agreed casually. I shook my head at her.

"I was referring to your miraculous display of cunning," I corrected. Granger just shrugged one of her shoulders.

"Well, now no one can say that I'm not brave," Granger chirped as she stood up from her chair.

"I'll see you later, Malfoy," Granger gave me a final smile as she left the library.

I put a hand to the cheek that she had kissed as I watched her walk out of the library. Kissing Granger wasn't supposed to be this difficult. Her lonely Gryffindor heart was supposed to fall for my Slytherin charm immediately, but as the days kept passing, I was making no progress whatsoever. There was one thing that I knew for certain. No one could say that Hermione Granger wasn't brave.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:Yay! Thank you all so much for reviewing, favoriting, and alerting. It makes me smile. (: Special thanks to DZAuthor AKA DZMom for suggesting an idea for a part of this chapter. Thanks for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I Do Not Own Harry Potter

The Half-Way Point

Day Four

It was the halfway point. At this particular time in the bet, Blaise and I were tied for failure. I was watching in amusement as he cornered the Weaslette.

"All I'm saying is that you don't have to deny your feelings," Blaise said suavely. He had backed the redhead up against the wall in the corridor. She was temporarily unable to reach her wand, and I could see the frustration spelled out across her face. I leaned on the wall a little farther down from them as I watched in amusement.

"I don't know what rogue bludger hit you in the head, Zabini," the Weaslette hissed, "But if you don't leave me alone, I'll make sure that the next one knocks you out permanently." Blaise stroked a piece of red hair back behind her ear.

"Anger to cover up your feelings? Honestly, Love. I thought we were past that," Blaise admonished gently. A smile crept onto my face.

"What is wrong with you?" The redheaded girl blew up. "The only feeling that my anger is covering up is more anger!" She tried to push Zabini away, but he didn't budge.

"Anger at yourself, though. Right? You're angry that you can't admit that you're in love with me," Blaise said softly. He tried to lean in to kiss the redhead, but she clamped her hand over his mouth.

"I told you that under no circumstances will I ever kiss you!" The She-Weasel yelled. Blaise pulled his mouth away from her hand.

"That's a fairly bold statement," he pointed out. The Weasel girl shook her red hair.

"I wouldn't kiss you to save my own life," she promised him. Blaise's bottom lip began to pout.

"That was uncalled for," Blaise said, sounding hurt.

"Stalking me was uncalled for! Trying to kiss me was uncalled for! Don't you dare tell me what you think is uncalled for!" The redhead exploded. Blaise smirked. I didn't catch what he said next because someone came and stood next to me.

"What's going on, Malfoy?" Granger asked as she surveyed the scene in uncertainty.

"It appears that Blaise is trying to kiss Weasel's sister," I told her. I kept my voice carefully emotionless, but Granger immediately reacted.

"Really?" Granger tilted her head. She looked at the scene with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. Even though it was Granger, I couldn't help but agree with her emotions.

"Yeah," I affirmed. Granger bit her lip.

"Well, shouldn't you stop him?" she asked me. I could hear the accusation dripping from her voice.

"You want me to stop a Slytherin and Gryffindor romance?" I asked her with forced shock. A blush crossed Granger's face.

"No, that's not what I meant," Granger said hurriedly. I shot her a judgmental stare.

"I mean, I realize that they're both Purebloods, but are you really saying that some prejudices are alright? Granger, you disappoint me," I told her. The look on her face was priceless. She appeared to be very upset with herself as she twirled her fingers nervously into her hair.

"It's just that Harry and Ginny are almost a couple," Granger said quietly. This was news to me.

"Almost a couple?" I echoed. Granger nodded her bushy head.

"Yes, they're almost in a relationship," Granger said sagely. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"How can someone be almost in a relationship?" I asked her, bemused. Granger's blush turned an even darker shade of red.

"It's complicated," Granger said evasively. I sighed as I leaned back against the wall.

"Everything associated with Potter is," I mused. Granger looked like she wanted to argue that point, but she said nothing.

"You know," I started out gently, "if you kissed me you would be making excellent strides towards House unity," I told her. Granger wrinkled her nose at me.

"That wouldn't unify anyone! The Gryffindors would hunt you down, and your Slytherin friends would hex me to death. Especially the ones that love you so much," she looked at me pointedly.

"So, we kiss to spite them?" I suggested reasonably. Granger looked at me incredulously.

"We don't kiss. Not now, not ever," Granger said firmly. Well, that was counter-productive.

"Well, alright then," I said sullenly as Granger stared at the ground.

"I'm going to go save Ginny," Granger told me superiorly. I turned to look at her.

"You mean that you're going to go destroy Blaise's happiness," I corrected her. She huffed at me with indignation.

"It's not that they're from different houses, Malfoy. It's that Ginny is obviously very uncomfortable," Granger stated. I thought about that.

"Maybe she's uncomfortable because Blaise is right," I suggested. Granger raised an eyebrow at me.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Maybe the She-Weasel is just trying to hide her feelings. Maybe it's denial," I told her. I nodded my head wisely to add emphasis. Granger looked at me as if I was mental.

"Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy," Granger said as she took a step away from me.

"Maybe you're in denial too," I mused.

"Excuse me?" she asked as she wound her fingers tighter into her curls.

"Maybe there's someone you like too, and you just can't admit it," I took a step toward her.

"You've lost your mind, Malfoy. You've lost it completely," Granger said as she sidestepped me. I grabbed her arm as she tried to walk away.

"Is denial a Gryffindor trait?" I asked as she walked over to Blaise and the Weaslette. She turned around to look at me. Her dark eyes were wide.

"Is insanity a Slytherin trait?" she returned calmly, keeping her gaze locked with mine.

"Undoubtedly," I nodded my head. Granger looked at me for a long moment before turning around to save her friend.

"Wait, Granger," I called. She turned around and waited as I walked slowly up to her. I could see the annoyance on her face.

"What, Malfoy?" she asked, irritated. I gave her a heroic smile.

"I'll save your friend," I told her boldly. Granger slowly raised an eyebrow at me.

"You're going to stop Blaise?" she asked me disbelievingly.

"Of course," I said superiorly. "I am a gentleman." Granger gave me something that was reminiscent of a smirk.

"Well, then by all means," she vaguely gestured to the couple that was arguing.

A new plan was forming in my mind. I was going to be a gentleman and impress Granger into kissing me. I walked confidentially up to the squabbling pair.

"Blaise, I believe the lady would like for you to leave her alone," I said loudly enough for Granger to hear. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Granger's shocked expression. The redhead and Blaise gave me startled looks.

"How does that concern you, Draco?" The Italian boy asked huffily. I gave the She-Weasel a dazzling smile.

"I'd be happy to walk you back to Gryffindor Tower," I told her pleasantly. The redheaded girl shot me a look of judgment as she considered my offer.

"She doesn't want to go with you," Blaise tried to brush me away. He turned his full attention back to the She-Weasel when she grabbed me by the arm.

"Actually," the Weaslette said primly, "I would love to go back with you, Draco." Her voice was a silky purr as she wrapped her arm around mine. Blaise's jaw dropped.

"You would?" Blaise demanded.

"You would?" I asked, slightly unnerved. The Weasel's sister gave me an absolutely conniving grin.

"You're my hero," she whispered. Then came the unexpected part. She grabbed the back of my head to tilt it forward and rose up on her tiptoes to give me a chaste peck on the lips. I stared at her in disbelief. Blaise's face was a mess of emotion. The emotions ranged from anger to bewilderment as we both stared at the girl.

"Umm, Gin?" Granger called awkwardly. "How about we both walk back together?"

"Alright," the redhead agreed. She gave me a dazzling smile as she walked over to Granger. She turned to give Blaise a piercing sneer.

"What was that?" Blaise asked as he slumped back against the wall. I ran a shaky hand through my blond hair.

"I have no idea," I whispered hoarsely.

"You're her hero," Blaise said dazedly. I knew that the look on his face wasn't exactly that of jealously, but it was close. He eyed me uncertainly as he waited for me to respond.

"So it would seem," I agreed as I slipped down the wall to sit on the floor.

"Bets never go in my favor," Blaise muttered as he joined me in sitting on the floor. I couldn't help but nod my agreement.

Gryffindors were odd people with their 'almost relationships' and the way that they over-complicated everything. This bet was starting to get complicated, even from Slytherin standards. Maybe Granger and her friend were in denial, or maybe I was just mental.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying this story. I'm having fun writing it. It's kind of light-hearted, but I think that's a good thing. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted. I always smile to myself like an idiot whenever I get the emails. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

A Malfoy Malady

Day 4

Blaise and I were eating dinner in the Great Hall. Blaise put his fork down by the side of his plate and gave me a huge smile.

"Just think, Draco," Blaise said wistfully, "these are the last days you'll get to eat with us." I jabbed my fork forcefully into my chicken.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Zabini," I said darkly. "The redhead did kiss me, and she doesn't appear to be too taken with you." Blaise just smiled.

"Not yet," Blaise affirmed. "Denial is a tough barrier to get over. But by the end of the week, she'll kiss me." I ignored Blaise and continued to eat my chicken. I happened to look up. My eyes drifted to the Gryffindor table and landed on the Weaslette. She was openly staring at Blaise.

Great.

I was not going to lose this bet. Malfoys never lose. I would have to attempt to get Granger to kiss me again tonight. That meant I would have to follow her out of the Great Hall and catch her before she went into Gryffindor Tower.

I watched Granger carefully. The second she left her table, I was on my feet. I followed her silently out of the Great Hall. I followed behind her quietly, all the while trying to devise a plan. I froze in my footsteps. Granger would never kiss me after I stalked her through the castle. Girls weren't too affectionate to the people who followed them down dark corridors. I knew that much. I had to have her stumble upon me, rather than chasing after her.

I slipped through a few corridors and up a few random staircases until I was ahead of Granger on the path to Gryffindor Tower. I sat down against the wall. What was I going to say?

Granger appeared before I had time to solidify my plan.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Granger stopped in front of me. I went with the first thing that came to my mind. I put my hand up to my mouth and groaned in pain.

"Oww," I murmured through my fingers. Granger immediately knelt down beside me.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern as she stared into my eyes.

"My mouth hurts," I whined. Granger grabbed my fingers gently and pulled them away from my mouth.

"Maybe you have a toothache. You know, my parents are dentists. Muggle healers for your teeth," she rambled as she looked at my mouth warily. My mind worked feverishly.

"Umm, no. It's my lips," I told her shakily. Granger looked at me in confusion.

"Your lips?" She asked. I nodded my head. Granger looked at my lips.

"I don't see anything, Malfoy. Are you sure they hurt?" she asked me. I couldn't help but notice that her tone was rather condescending.

"Yes, Granger. It's rather painful. Look closer," I pleaded. Granger leaned her bushy head towards mine as she inspected my supposedly ill lips. Closer. Closer.

"Hermione!" A voice called. Granger snapped her head away from me and stood up. Potter and Weasley appeared around the corner.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as he eyed me suspiciously. Granger was still standing rather close to me. Probably too close for her little friends' tastes. I put my hands up in surrender.

"I wasn't feeling well," I told them flatly as I stood to my feet.

"I'm sure it's nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you come near my sister again!" The Weasel bellowed. So he had heard about that. I gave him a smirk.

"I don't know what you heard Weasley, but your sister kissed me. Granger was there. She can tell you," I gestured to Granger. She nodded her bushy head.

"It's true, Ron," Granger said with conviction. The Weasel's ears burned brightly as he turned his attention to the floor. Granger turned to me. "I suggest you go see Madam Pomfrey," she told me. Her voice was laced with concern, but it was the type that was concerned for my mental well-being, rather than the physical. There was no way she would kiss me tonight.

"I might do just that," I asked as I shouldered my way past Scarhead and Weasel.

"Goodbye, Malfoy," Granger called. I turned to look at her.

"Goodbye, Granger," I said as I slipped away down the corridor. I could hear Potter and Weasel's angry voices as they carried through the castle.

"Hurt his lip?" Weasel's voice shrilled. "Maybe he sprained it smirking at people."

"You need to be careful, Hermione," Potter said in his brotherly fashion. If you ask me, he's just controlling.

"I can take care of myself, Harry," apparently Granger agreed with me, "He's changed." I felt a strange pang in my heart as she said those words. Granger was defending me to her friends. It was weird to think about, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I should feel guilty for some reason. I walked quietly to the Slytherin dungeons when I came upon Blaise.

"Evening, Draco," Blaise said cheerily. "You look strikingly not glowing." I rolled my eyes at him.

"The Weasel girl is an almost-relationship, Zabini," I told him superiorly. "I doubt she'll kiss you."

"What kind of people are in almost relationships?" Blaise asked as he tilted his head at me.

"The girl you have to kiss, for one," I pointed out. "And the Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die for another." Blaise raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"Me against Potter?" Blaise asked. "I can't imagine losing. Besides, Ginny's a reasonable girl." A smirk crossed my lips.

"Ginny?" I echoed. "Be careful, Blaise. People will think you fancy that Weasel."

"She's a Blood Traitor," Blaise shrugged. "A beautiful Blood Traitor, but a Blood Traitor none the less." I nodded my head as I walked to my bed.

The thoughts swirled through my mind. Zabini had admitted that he thought the redheaded girl was beautiful. I supposed that Granger was kind of pretty too. In a hideous, Mudblood sort of way. But she did have nice eyes. Or at least they were nice whenever she wasn't rolling them at me.

I shook these thoughts from my head as I attempted to fall asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Ok, this came up in one of my other stories. If you see anything that could use improvement/expansion/needs to be out of the story completely, then please don't hesitate to tell me. I'm constantly trying to improve my writing, so if you see something way off, then please tell me. Thank you to everyone!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

Of Scarred Pasts and Scarred Arms

Day Five

I was starting to get anxious. Five days was a long time. I had never had trouble getting a girl to kiss me before. I had a perfect record. Every girl that I had ever tried to kiss had kissed me. That was pretty impressive; ignoring the fact that it had been only Pansy. Still, that didn't take much effort. Granger, however, proved to be quite difficult.

I had been nice to her, I had said I liked Muggles, I had even almost drowned! This was madness. I was walking to the library concocting a new plan. I spotted Granger in her favorite spot and went to go sit with her.

"Hello, Granger," I drawled as I sat down across the table from her. I expected her to get angry at me for bothering her, but she smiled at me.

"Hello, Malfoy," she greeted. She shut her book and gave me a knowing smile. "How are things?"

"Things are . . . well?" I attempted, bewildered. I had no idea what she was talking about. Granger let out a tinkling laugh.

"I meant with your," her voice dropped to a whisper, "Muggleborn." I breathed out a sigh.

"Oh, her," I quickly ran through a handful of lies. Granger would never kiss me if she thought that there was someone else. "I don't think it will work out between us."

"Oh, why not?" Granger's face contorted into a frown. Well, because she isn't real, my mind supplemented, but I told her something else.

"We were just too different," I lied easily. Granger bit her lip.

"Back to your old blood prejudices, Malfoy?" she asked softly. This was not going in my favor.

"What? No. No, it's just that we didn't have the same interests or hobbies or really the same ideas about anything," I quickly explained. Granger would never kiss me if she thought I hated Mudbloods.

"Oh," Granger's face brightened. "Well, what are your interests?" I blanked.

"Quidditch?" I suggested. Granger nodded her head and waited for me to continue.

"I like to fly," I added. "I like Potions class and reading." Granger's face stretched into a smile at the mention of books.

"What do you like to read, Malfoy?" she asked me happily.

"Fiction, I suppose," I said casually. Granger tilted her head at me.

"Really? I would have thought you would like Quidditch books or spell books," Granger mused. I ran a hand through my hair.

"Not in particular," I shrugged a shoulder.

"I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't like spell books," Granger said out loud. "They're very educational."

"That's just it, Granger. I'm sick of spells and learning. Fiction lets me be someone else," I bit my tongue. I had not meant for that to slip. Granger's eyes locked with mine, and she tilted her head.

"Someone else?" she questioned. I cursed my stupidity and tried to change the subject.

"Leave it, Granger," I told her firmly. She bit her lip as she sent me a pleading look.

"Malfoy, the war is over. We can talk now. We can be friends," Granger whispered. I bit back the scathing reply in my head. If I wanted to win, it was probably best for Granger to think that we were friends. I sighed in resignation as I prepared myself to talk to Granger.

"I don't always like my life, Granger," I admitted slowly. "Books allow me to step away from it for a little while." Granger reached a hand over the table and placed it on top of mine.

"Reading can't change your life, Malfoy," she said with conviction. I brought my eyes up to meet hers.

"But it helps me to escape it," I told her. A sad smiled crossed her face.

"Escaping is easy, Malfoy. It's better to fix your reality than to create an alternate one," she said softly. I stared at her small hand that was placed gingerly on mine.

"You can't escape the past, Granger," I said as I pulled my hand away from hers slowly. Her eyes locked with mine.

"But you don't have to let it define your future," she whispered. I stared at her for a long moment.

"You don't know about haunted pasts," I said bitterly as my eyes hit the ground. She was the Mudblood best friend of Potter. She didn't really understand. I noticed that the faded scar of my Dark Mark was peeking out from under the sleeve of my robe. I moved to cover it more fully, but Granger grabbed my hand. She gently slid my sleeve up to reveal my grotesque tattoo. She placed her arm next to mine on the table. The scar that my aunt had given her was still carved into her skin. She looked up at me with her pretty, dark eyes.

"My past is plenty haunted. The difference is that you chose for yours to be that way. Mine was forced upon me," she corrected me gently. I swallowed. There was nothing that I could think to say, so I simply nodded my head. She pulled her scarred arm away from mine.

Granger stood to her feet.

"I've got to go, Malfoy," Granger informed me. "But I'll see you later." I was left alone in the library. I hadn't attempted to kiss Granger, but for a moment it didn't really matter.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this. It makes me smile.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter.

Demented Gryffindor Dating

Day Five

"Zabini, I told you that I have a boyfriend," the redhead said as she tried to push past Zabini in the corridors.

"And I told you to stop lying," Blaise smiled at her. The She-Weasel sighed angrily.

"Fine," she shouted. "I don't have a boyfriend, but that doesn't mean I want to kiss you." Blaise let out a laugh.

"That's progress, Love," Blaise told her happily. The Weaslette let out a strangled sound.

"It's not progress!" she shouted at him. Blaise just laughed at her and let her pass.

"I'll see you after dinner!" Blaise called as she stormed down the corridor.

"No, you won't!" The redhead growled, but there was a blush spreading across her cheeks. Blaise sighed in contentment as he slumped back against the wall watching her fondly.

The confusion was clouding my mind. After Granger's speech in the library and what I had just witnessed in the corridor, I honestly did not know what was going on. This bet was turning out to be more than Blaise and I had bargained for.

I walked to the Astronomy Tower with purpose. I wanted to get away, just for a little bit. I climbed the many steps as my 'Granger problem' whirled through my head. She wasn't supposed to be nice to me. She wasn't supposed to try to help me. She was supposed to kiss me so I could win a bet and then never speak to me again. Nothing was going according to plan.

I pushed the Astronomy Tower door open easily. I breathed a sigh of relief as I took in the sunset. It was truly beautiful. The orange sunlight was encompassing my confused mind when I heard a sniffle from the corner. There was Granger.

She was crying in the corner. Her normally frizzy hair was frazzled beyond normal. Her eyes were red and puffy as she looked up at me. She wiped her nose in a rather unattractive way as she tried to stop crying.

"Are you alright, Granger?" I asked as I sat down by the wall next to her. Granger shook her head and burst into tears again. I had no idea what to do.

I was never really around girls when they cried. How were you supposed to help them? When a man cried, you staunched the wound that was oozing blood. But when a girl cried, it was something much worse, much deeper. There wasn't a visible wound to fix. I sighed to myself as I reached out to pat Granger's shoulder awkwardly. She jerked her head up in surprise. I looked at her helplessly. A look crossed through Granger's dark eyes before she did something completely insane. She hugged me.

We sat like that for a long time. Granger had her arm wrapped around my chest, and I had mine slung over her shoulder. She buried her face in my robes, and she was crying violently into my shoulder. I tried to fight back the revulsion at the thought of her getting snot on my robes.

I stroked her hair gently in an attempt to calm her down. Her hair was fascinating. It was still bushy and wild, but it was softer than it appeared. Granger began to calm down. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself before she raised her head to look at me.

"What's wrong, Granger?" I asked her quietly. Her eyes glazed over.

"Do you remember, Malfoy," she hiccupped, "when I told you about the 'almost-relationship' that Harry and Ginny had?" I nodded my head in remembrance. Granger sighed deeply.

"Well, Ron and I had one of those too," Granger admitted sadly. I took in that bit of news. The Weasel and Granger were together? Well, together in the demented Gryffindor way? That made the bet a bit different.

"So, you're dating Weasley?" I clarified. Granger's eyes began to tear up.

"Not anymore," she sobbed. I patted her shoulder.

"Granger, what happened?" I asked her. Granger visibly pulled herself together.

"He's . . . he's seeing somebody else," Granger said flatly. I tilted my head at her.

"He cheated on you?" I questioned her. A blush crossed over Granger's face.

"No. Not technically. We were never actually dating, so he didn't cheat on me," Granger reasoned. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Granger, that's ridiculous. You Gryffindors set yourselves up for heartbreak," I reprimanded her lightly. Granger pulled her arms away from me. There was an inexplicable disappointment that coursed through me, but I ignored it. Granger's face contorted angrily, but it softened again as she let out a deep breath.

"You're right; I guess, Malfoy. That doesn't make it hurt any less," Granger whispered from the corner. The sun had started sinking in the distance and the shadows crept across the walls.

"I'm sorry, Granger," I told her sincerely. Granger stared at me with wide eyes but didn't say anything.

"Slytherins don't have relationship problems, do they, Malfoy?" Granger questioned me. I stared at her incredulously.

"We have Pansy. She's nothing but a relationship problem," I told Granger. She tilted her head back in a laugh.

"I suppose that's true," Granger said as she dried her tears.

"You'll be alright, Granger," I told her reassuringly. Granger stood to her feet and gave me an appraising look.

"You will too, Malfoy," she said as a look crossed through her eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I rose to my feet.

"I meant what I said early. Your past doesn't set your future. I think you'll be alright," Granger said. She bit her lip as if she was thinking about something, but she didn't say anything.

"I'm glad you think so, Granger," I said dubiously. Granger nodded her head before picking her bag up off of the floor.

"Thank you for everything, Malfoy," Granger said seriously as she locked her gaze with mine.

"It's fine, Granger," I said dismissively.

"I'll see you," Granger gave me a smile before disappearing from the Astronomy Tower. I walked to the Slytherin dormitories even more confused than I was before.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story. It makes me smile. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter.

Unreciprocated

Day 6

Precious time. I was running out of time. I was sprawled out across the sofa in the Slytherin common room as I considered my next move. I was starting to get that awful pang in my heart each time I thought of the bet, but I did my best to shake it off.

I was going to the library. I had gone to the library more this past week then in all my years of Hogwarts put together. I walked in through the doors and immediately went to Granger's spot. I found her there pouring over a book. She looked up when she saw me and gave me a hint of a smile. I sat down next to her.

"Homework?" I asked as I looked at the book she was reading. Granger shook her bushy head.

"No, I've been doing some research," Granger articulated. I rolled my eyes, but a smile was on my lips.

"What a surprise," I said sarcastically. Granger playfully hit my arm.

"Just because you have no academic drive, doesn't mean that the rest of us are equally afflicted," Granger sniffed. She began to read her book again as I twiddled with the hem of my robe.

"So, how's school?" I asked. I had no idea what my next plan was, and I was hoping that something would come to me. Granger quirked an eyebrow at me.

"School is fine," she said slowly.

"Good," I mumbled. Granger let out a tinkling laugh.

"Are you just lonely or something, Malfoy?" she asked me amusedly. I lifted my chin up in defiance.

"Malfoys don't get lonely," I informed her firmly. She just laughed and turned back to her book.

"Of course not," she said. A few moments passed in silence before I could take it no more.

"Honestly, what are you researching?" I demanded as I tried to look over her shoulder. Granger shifted away from me and kept the book pages covered.

"Don't be so nosey, Malfoy," she reprimanded lightly. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Tell me," I whined.

"No," Granger said firmly.

"Please?" I asked. Granger looked up at me. Her dark eyes wide with shock.

"What?" she asked me. She was completely bewildered.

"Please tell me what you're researching?" I reiterated calmly. Granger sighed in resignation.

"I'm looking for a spell to get rid of your scar," she admitted quietly. My mind went blank.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I know what it's like to feel marked by your past, and I thought that if we were able to get rid of your mark completely then maybe you'd feel free," Granger shrugged her shoulder. I stared at her incredulously.

"You've been researching how to get rid of my Dark Mark?" I asked her bluntly. Granger cringed at my emotionless voice.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know that I shouldn't have intruded, but what you said yesterday and everything. But I guess that still doesn't make it right. I really-" I cupped Granger's face and gently pulled it towards me. I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine. She was too shocked to move. I kissed her for a moment before gently pulling back.

"Thank you, Granger," I whispered as I tucked a piece of frizzy hair behind her ear. "That's the nicest thing, or really the only thing, that anyone has ever done for me."

"You're welcome," she whispered as a rosy blush spread across her cheeks. I stood to my feet.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I told her as I walked out of the room.

The pain in my heart was unbearable. I had just kissed Hermione Granger. It wasn't planned, it wasn't contrived, and, most importantly, it wasn't reciprocated. She hadn't kissed me back so I was still under the magic of the bet.

I had kissed her. I didn't mean to, but no one had ever done something like that for me before. It was remarkable to think that she cared so much. She was the one person who had ever wanted to erase my past so that I could have a different future. She was different.

Resolve settled within me as I marched my way back to the Slytherin dungeons. I had to get out of this bet. Granger would never forgive me if she found out. The pain in my heart was telling me that this was wrong. I didn't want to kiss Granger out of a bet. I wanted to kiss Granger because she understood.

It was time to talk to Blaise.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Yay! Thank you for all the feedback on this story. You readers are the best. Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter

Telling The Truth

I walked resolutely to the Slytherin dormitories. The air was as cold and dank as ever, and, right now, the feeling in my heart was exactly the same way. This bet was not a good idea.

"Zabini!" I called as I walked into the common room. Blaise was sitting regally in his favorite chair reading a book. I walked over to him purposefully.

"Hello, Draco," Blaise said as he closed the book in his hands. "Glad to see that you aren't glowing yet," Blaise observed. He sat back in his chair with a smile.

"I need to talk with you about the bet, Blaise," I told him flatly. Blaise raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yes? What about it?" Blaise indicated for me to continue.

"I think that we should call it off," I kept my voice as emotionless as possible. Blaise tilted his head at me.

"Why would we do that?" A knowing smile crossed Blaise's face. I narrowed my eyes.

"I just think we should, alright?" I demanded. Blaise laughed mirthlessly.

"Draco, you haven't developed feeling for the Mudblood, have you?" Blaise asked me mockingly. I turned the argument on him.

"What about you and the Blood Traitor?" I countered. "Don't think I didn't notice your expressions in the corridor." Blaise thought about that.

"Well, what's done is done. There's no way to get out of a magical bet. We'll just have to follow through," Blaise shrugged his shoulder. I ran a hand through my hair.

"This is such a mess," I complained. Blaise gave me a smile.

"Look at it this way, Draco," he said superiorly. "In about one day, all your troubles will be over." I looked at him in bewilderment.

"What do you mean?" I wondered. Blaise smiled at me.

"One of us will have won the bet, and Granger will never speak to you again. You can drop this whole Mudblood business," Blaise said calmly. I felt my stomach drop. That really was not how I wanted this all to end.

"I'll see you later, Blaise," I said blankly as I left the Slytherin common room. I wandered aimlessly in the corridors attempting to devise a plan. I couldn't think of anything to save me.

"Hello, Malfoy," Granger said quietly. She was sitting on a step of an abandoned staircase.

"Granger," I gave her a nod of my head.

"Is everything alright?" She asked me kindly. I nodded my head resolutely. Granger gave me a smile and gestured for me to sit down next her. I obliged as I slumped onto the dusty stair.

"About earlier," Granger began nervously. I tilted my head in puzzlement.

"Earlier?" I asked her. Granger huffed.

"You kissed me!" She cried indignantly, obviously mad that I had forgotten. I felt my face warm up.

"Oh, yes, that. What about it?" I asked nervously. This time a blush crossed Granger's cheeks.

"Why did you do it?" She asked bluntly. I'm sure that my face was positively crimson; I know that Granger's was. I stared at the cold floor beneath our feet.

"Because I wanted to," I murmured quietly. Granger let out an exasperated sigh.

"That's exactly my point. Why would you want to? For years, I've been the filthy Mudblood, and I don't care what you say. No one completely changes their ways that fast," Granger said firmly. I locked my gaze with hers.

"You don't think that I've changed?" I asked her. My voice held a strange tone to it. Granger bit her lip as she thought about my question.

"Well, of course you've changed," Granger said seriously. "It's just that I didn't think that changing would make you kiss me." I ran my hand through my hair as I let out a sound of annoyance.

"I'm sorry for kissing you, Granger. I won't let it happen again," I promised her sullenly. Granger looked up at me with her dark eyes.

"No, that's not what I meant," Granger corrected. I stared at her incredulously.

"Then what did you mean, Granger?" I asked her, getting frustrated. Granger took a deep breath before firmly planting her lips on mine. I was surprised. I let my eyes flutter closed, but I immediately pulled back. I couldn't kiss her.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked as her face burnt red. She tried to hide her face in her hands.

"Don't be sorry," I told her. She mumbled something into her hands. "I didn't catch that," I told her. Granger lifted her face out of her hands a fraction.

"I am sorry. You obviously didn't want to kiss me," Granger pointed out. The embarrassment she was feeling caused me to feel even worse.

"It's not that I didn't want to kiss you," I told her sincerely. Her head snapped up, and a look of anger crossed her face.

"Then why didn't you?" She demanded hotly. A small part of my mind found it humorous that Hermione Granger was mad that I didn't kiss her. The rest of me was terrified of what I was going to say next.

"Because I would've started glowing," I told her truthfully. Granger tilted her head to look at me.

"Glowing?" she asked with a smile. I nodded my head shamefully. She was grinning at this point.

"Why would you have started to glow?" she asked me, completely failing to keep the humor out of her voice.

"Because I won the bet," I whispered. The smile slipped off of her face.

"What bet?" She asked flatly.

"The bet to kiss you," I admitted quietly. Rage seethed from Granger's entire body.

"You made a bet to kiss me?" She asked furiously. I nodded my head guiltily. "What did you bet, Malfoy?" she asked suddenly. I jerked my head up in confusion.

"What?" I asked her, bemused.

"What were you going to win for kissing a Mudblood?" she spat. I cringed at her tone.

"Fifty galleons and the loser has to sit at the Hufflepuff table," I said. Granger stood to her feet.

"Not only is betting on me completely inexcusable," she said self-righteously. "But what you bet was just pathetic." I swallowed. She was right.

"Granger, you don't understand," I pleaded. Her eyes flashed with anger as she cut me off.

"I understand perfectly," she corrected. "I understand that you led me on, and like a fool, I thought you liked me. I understand that I was wrong. You haven't changed. You're despicable," she hissed. And with that she left me alone in the corridor.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Yay! We're getting to the climax! Thanks for all the feedback on this story! I realize we've gotten into a deep bit in a mostly light-hearted story, but bear with me ( and my apparent need for angst). Thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

Confrontation and Consequences

DAY SEVEN

The last day of the bet was anti-climatic, for my part at least. I didn't speak to Blaise all day. Granger was pure anger every time I saw her in the corridor or in the Great Hall. I would try to make eye contact, but she would just glower at me until I looked away. I had never felt this bad.

I had come to realize why I was experiencing these guilty feelings. I actually cared for someone. It was a novice feeling to actually be concerned about someone beside yourself. I knew that I hadn't handled the bet correctly, but I really couldn't be blamed for my lack of expertise in dealing all this extra emotion. Surely Granger would understand that and take pity on my poor, emotionally inept soul. I clung to this hope like a life line as I slipped away from the other students.

I was sitting in the Astronomy Tower. Wonderful thing, the Astronomy Tower. If you go up at just the right time, the stars are incredible. And staring at those multitudes of stars, it's difficult to feel like you or your problems are significant. Mine were significant, though. I had ruined the one relationship in my life that made me happy. Sure, I had my parents, and they loved me, but they also used me and forced me to serve the Dark Lord. I had a feeling that Granger could have loved me, but I guess I'll never know. She hates me now, and even the stars can't deny that one.

I sighed deeper into the wall. I was sitting in the darkness waiting for midnight. I wanted nothing more than for this awful week to be over and life to go back to normal. The careful, controlled silence of the night was broken by the sound of soft footsteps. I craned my neck to watch the Astronomy Tower door swing open. An elongated shadow of a bushy haired girl stretched from the doorframe.

"Malfoy," Granger whispered. Her wand was burning brightly as she used it to locate me in the dark.

"Yes," I stuttered out. My eyes were wide as I stared at Granger. Why would she be searching for me? Granger slumped dejectedly by the stone wall next to me.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Granger told me. Hope rose up in me as I peered at her in the darkness.

"Really?" I asked her. She nodded her bushy head.

"What's wrong with you friend Zabini? Is Ginny part of the bet?" she asked me seriously. My hopes were dashed. Her monotone made me involuntarily shudder. Hermione Granger was nothing if not expressive. For her tone to be so lifeless was eerie, at best.

"Yes," I admitted cautiously. "I had to kiss you, and Blaise had to kiss her." Granger pulled in frustration at her frizzy hair as she sat up straighter against the cold wall.

"This is awful," she whispered, staring at the stone beneath us. I glanced at her with an inquisitive look on my face. The soft moonlight highlighted her features, and she glowed a faint shade of silver.

"What's wrong?" I asked her suddenly. She pulled up her head to look at me distastefully, but eventually sighed.

"Ginny likes Blaise," Granger said flatly. I tilted my head at her.

"I thought she had one of your unhealthy 'almost-relationships' with Potter," I observed. Granger huffed.

"That's just the problem, isn't it?" she cried. "It was an 'almost-relationship.' Your blasted friend's stupid advances have worked, I guess." I ran a shaky hand through my hair.

"She likes Blaise?" I clarified. Granger nodded morosely. "But she kissed me." Granger looked at me like in anger.

"To make Blaise jealous," Granger explained shrilly.

"Oh," I murmured intelligently. Granger's dark eyes looked up at the stars.

"She'll be heartbroken when she finds out," Granger whispered. I suddenly felt even guiltier. In less than twenty four hours, I had managed to be the cause of two Gryffindor heartbreaks. That had to be some sort of Slytherin record.

"I'm sorry, Granger," I whispered honestly. "I never should have bet to kiss you." Granger bit her lip while she seemed to think about something.

"Everything you've done this week was to win the bet?" Granger clarified quietly.

"Yes," I admitted in the same tones. Granger thought about that.

"The poison Ivy as mistletoe? Being nice? There never was any Muggleborn was there?" Granger asked as she tried to remember this week. I shook my head in shame.

"Drowning was an act too. You were supposed to use mouth to mouth to revive me, not leave me to Bulstrode," I said glumly. I looked up in startled confusion when Granger let out a light laugh.

"Yes, I suppose that would have been a rather nasty wake up call," Granger said happily. I looked at her carefully as the moonlight played upon the freckles on her nose. The next few moments passed in silence as I stared at Granger who stared at the floor. Granger finally had another question to break the silence.

"The kiss in the library about your Dark Mark?" she asked, quieter this time. I shook my head. Granger looked at me in shock and puzzlement. I swallowed hard.

"No, that wasn't for the bet," I said, praying that Granger wouldn't question it. She didn't.

"So, why didn't you win?" Granger asked me seriously.

"Because you were uncooperative?" I suggested innocently. Granger sighed as she twirled a curl in her fingers.

"No, I mean when you kissed me. You should have won," Granger observed. I considered her for a long moment before answering. The starlight played upon her dark eyes in an eerily beautiful way. Those same ethereal eyes were staring at me curiously as she waited for me to answer.

"I didn't win because you didn't kiss me back," I said honestly. Granger twirled the frizzy curl in her hands into a knot.

"Then you should have won when I kissed you on the stairs," a blush gently crossed her cheeks at the memory. She shivered a little in the evening air.

"No, I didn't kiss you back," I reminded her. I took off my black school robe and gently laid it across her. Granger snuggled under the robe appreciatively, but she eyed me a bit warily.

"Why didn't you?" Granger asked quickly.

"I didn't care about the bet anymore," I answered her solemnly. Granger kept her eyes trained on the ground.

"Meaning that you didn't want to kiss me anymore?" she asked sullenly. I felt my lips curl into a smile despite myself.

"I still want to kiss you," I clarified with a smirk. "I just don't want it to be for those reasons."

"And what reasons do you have to kiss me, Malfoy?" Granger asked in a strange tone as she pulled my robe up to her chin. Her voice was hopeful and depressed all at once. I considered before answering her.

"You're helpful, you're friendly, you're afraid of flying, you're deathly afraid of failing, the way your eyes shine is lovely," I listed. Granger blushed furiously but allowed me to continue.

"You're an insufferable bookworm with an unnatural thirst for learning, you're insecure, you're naïve, you're always happy," I lowered my voice. "You understand," I whispered.

"What do you mean?" she questioned softly. Her dark eyes locked with mine.

"You wanted to help me with my Dark Mark. Everyone else likes to pretend it never happened, but it did. You wanted to get me past it, and you were the first person to care about my future," I told her earnestly. She shrugged a shoulder.

"I still care," she admitted flatly. Granger gazed at me for a long moment, and I thought her head was going to lean in, but she turned away resolutely. I sighed I sighed in disappointment. She would never want to kiss me.

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked me. I shot her an inquisitive look.

"About what?" I wondered. Granger looked at me like I was daft.

"About Ginny! If Blaise starts glowing when he kisses her, she'll be mortified," Granger reasoned.

"She'll have to know eventually," I reminded Granger rationally. She shook her bushy head.

"But not like that," Granger said firmly, placing my robe down across her legs as she clasped her hands together.

"So, how are you going to stop Blaise from glowing?" I asked her curiously.

"I'm going to end the bet," Granger told me proudly. I considered her naive statement. Her Muggleborn heritage must have affected her knowledge of Wizarding bets. There wasn't a counter-spell for these kinds of things.

"It's a magical bet, Granger," I informed her. "It can't be undone."

"I didn't say I would undo it," Granger explained slowly. "I said I would end it." I leaned my head back against the stone wall.

"How are you going to do that?" I questioned her. Granger's dark eyes locked with mine.

"Kiss me."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is the last chapter! Then the epilogue. I realize that the story is on the shorter side, but that's just the way it turned out.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

The Bet Is Won

"_Kiss Me."_

"Excuse me?" I asked her incredulously. I stared at her while she twirled a piece of hair in her hands nervously.

"I told you to kiss me. We'll end this bet before Blaise and Ginny," Granger said firmly. I looked at her in trepidation. I swallowed hard.

"I don't want to make you kiss me," I told her sincerely. Granger's dark eyes gleamed.

"You're not making me kiss you. I want to," Granger clarified. I felt the hope rise up in me before I thought came to me. I settled back against the cold stone.

"To save Ginny's feelings," I reminded myself out loud. I let my head fall back against the wall. Granger's face burned crimson as she let her gaze drop to the ground.

"Because I want to," she whispered. My head snapped up to look at her. She was wreaking havoc on my vulnerable Slytherin heart with her hot and cold attitude.

"You what?" I sputtered. Granger hid her face beneath her hands. Gryffindors weren't the best at expressing emotions.

"I want to kiss you," she murmured helplessly. I raised a blond eyebrow at her.

"Why would you want to kiss me?" I blinked at her. Granger twirled a finger into her frizzy curls. It got knotted in her hair and she tried to work it free. Her face clouded with embarrassment as she tore at her hair. She was getting her fingers more entangled in her hair with her desperate efforts. A fond smirk crossed my face. I gently reached over and slipped her finger out of her tangled hair. Granger's dark eyes stared at me.

"I think that you've changed," she said nervously. I felt a smirk cross my face; Granger quickly added.

"Not to say that you're completely different," she said. "You still make stupid teenage boy mistakes, and I still think that you're mental, but you aren't as insufferable as you were before. You went through all that trouble just to kiss me. I-I don't know, maybe I lo-like you." Granger stared at me, completely vulnerable. I considered her for a moment before I gently cupped her face with my hand.

I gently kissed Hermione Granger. Her eyes fluttered closed before she kissed me too. After a moment, I gently pulled away from her. We both waited in expectation, but nothing happened.

"You're not glowing," Granger said in monotone, but there was a pink blush on her cheeks. She bravely tried to keep a professional air about her.

"Blaise must have already kissed Ginny," I said slowly. Granger bit her lip in consternation.

"We have to go find them," she said regretfully. I nodded my head as I stood to my feet. I reached down a hand to pull her up. She stiffly handed my robe back to me.

"Where do you think they would be?" I asked her once she was standing on her feet.

"I don't know. I've never searched for someone kissing before," Granger admitted thoughtfully. A smile crossed my lips as I reached to pull the door open.

"Wait, Draco," Granger said softly. I left my hand on the handle but turned to face her.

"Yes?" I whispered. Granger stood up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I released the door handle as my arms circled around her. It was bliss. After all my efforts, Hermione had been the one to kiss me. Granger broke the kiss gently.

"There," she smiled. Her eyes sparkled in mischief. "Now let's go find them." I was grinning like an idiot as I took Granger into the corridor by the hand. We began searching for an ecstatic Blaise or an enraged Ginny. We didn't expect to find them together, and we certainly didn't expect to find them kissing, but there they were.

Granger and I approached the couple cautiously. Blaise was still glowing a sparkly yellow hue, but neither of them seemed to take notice of the light surrounding him.

"Ginny," Hermione called gently. The redhead was unresponsive. "Ginny!" she tried a bit louder. She looked at me helplessly.

"She either hasn't noticed the glow or she doesn't care," I observed brightly from my post in the corridor. Granger stared at me incredulously before turning to look back at the occupied couple.

"He's glowing! Of course she's noticed," Granger pointed out indignantly.

"Well, then she doesn't care," I smiled. Granger huffed for a moment but eventually returned my smile. She came to stand next to me by the wall. We watched the redheaded girl and the Slytherin for a few minutes in silence.

"I'm sorry you lost the bet," Granger said apologetically. I wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm not," I told her truthfully. Granger leaned her bushy head on my shoulder.

"I'll help you pay Blaise the money," Granger offered quietly. I rolled my eyes at her, but she couldn't see my face.

"I'm not taking your money, Granger," I told her firmly; my voice perfectly calm. Granger's face fell a little at my tone. "But you could still help me," I said slowly. Granger beamed up at me with her pretty eyes.

"Really?" she asked eagerly. "How?"I interlaced our fingers as I thought about my next move.

"Would you like to sit with me at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast tomorrow? And lunch? And dinner? For the rest of the year?" I asked her hopefully. Granger tilted her head back as she laughed at me.

"Honestly, I'd rather watch you try to manage on your own," Granger said humorously. I shot her a withering glance, but she wasn't fazed. "But of course I'll come with you," she promised.

"Thank you," I told her sincerely. Granger stared at the couple that was still snogging in front of us.

"Should you take the redhead back to the Gryffindor Tower? It's almost curfew," I observed sadly. Curfew always got in the way of everything. Granger nodded her head and carefully walked over to Blaise and Ginny.

"Ginny," Granger laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. Ginny looked at Hermione in surprise.

"Oh, hello," the Weaslette blushed as vibrantly as her hair as her eyes darted between Hermione and me.

"We've got to go back to the Tower," Granger smiled. Ginny shot the still faintly glowing Blaise an apologetic look.

"I've got to go, Blaise," she whispered apologetically. Blaise gave her a dazzling smile.

"I'll walk you back," Blaise offered as he took her hand in his. The She-Weasel smiled as she took his hand, and they disappeared down the corridor. I was left alone with Hermione.

"Can you believe that?" Granger asked indignantly as she came back to where I was standing.

"What?" I asked innocently as I smiled at Granger.

"She left me to walk back to Gryffindor Tower by myself! I've been replaced by a Slytherin," Granger spat. I wrapped my arm around her.

"Slytherins aren't so bad," I chided her. Granger rolled her eyes. "Can I walk you back?" Granger smiled as she nodded her head.

"Sure," she said faintly.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: It's the end of the story! Sigh. This was a really fun story to write, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you to everyone! And thank you for reading.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

Epilogue: My Last Gamble

"Draco, quit making that face," Hermione reprimanded me as we walked towards the Hufflepuff table.

"I can't, Darling. It's only the third day, and I'm already sick of these people," I muttered as she gripped my hand tighter.

"They're students just like you," she whispered as she sat down on the Hufflepuff bench next to me.

"Except, I'm drastically better," I murmured low enough to where she couldn't hear. I glanced around the Great Hall with amusement.

The Weasel and his new 'actually dating' girlfriend looked happy enough from where they were seated. Potter was making nervous eye-contact with a girl from Ravenclaw. I sighed as I sensed another 'almost relationship' on the rise. Blaise and Ginny had to make do with occasional glances at each other. Weasel wouldn't let his sister go to the Slytherin table, and none of the Gryffindors were too thrilled with the idea of Blaise at their table. Their sweet smiles were really rather sickening. I turned back to Hermione before I lost my appetite.

"The Hufflepuffs for the rest of the year," I groaned for the tenth time that morning. Hermione just gave me a smile as she slipped her hand into mine. Maybe this table wasn't _all_ evil.

"Hello," a perky Hufflepuff greeted as she sat down next to Hermione.

"Hi," Hermione said brightly. She nudged me in the ribs with her elbow, and I emitted an obligatory greeting.

"You're Hermione Granger," the Hufflepuff observed. Hermione nodded her head. "I'm Hannah." Hannah reached out her hand to Hermione's. They shook hands, and Hannah turned to face me. "Draco Malfoy?" she asked. I nodded my head. The Hufflepuff bit her lip.

"You're not eating here because you're mad, are you?" Hannah asked anxiously. "I told him not to do it." Before I had the chance to explain the bet, Hermione jumped in.

"We're here because we want to be," she lied, turning around to give me a glare. "Why would we be mad? Who's 'him'?" We both turned to look at Hannah expectantly.

"Neville. I'm so glad that you aren't mad anymore. I told him not to do it, but you know how boyfriends are," Hannah trailed off with a faint blush to her cheeks. She flipped some of her hair out of her eyes while Hermione and I watched in silence.

"You're dating Longbottom?" I asked incredulously. The girl nodded her head.

"For months now," she said happily.

"Imagine that," I whispered into Hermione's ear. "Longbottom was the first Gryffindor to get in an 'actual relationship.'" Hermione brushed me away with annoyance. I smirked to myself.

"Why on earth would we ever be mad at Neville?" Granger asked sincerely. The Hufflepuff twisted a curl in her hands nervously.

"Well, he did sabotage your 'mistletoe plan'," the girl pointed out. I stared at her in disbelief.

"Sabotage?" I croaked. My mind raced furiously as I tried to put what she said together.

"Yes," Hannah answered obliviously, "when he gave you the Poison Ivy on purpose." I felt my stomach drop. I had been outsmarted by that spineless Gryffindor. Hermione voiced her amusement unabashedly.

"Really?" she asked happily before dissolving into giggles.

"I do not see what is so funny," I said venomously as a scowl crept onto my face. Longbottom was a dead man.

"Bets never work out, Draco," her eyes gleamed. "That's why you shouldn't gamble." I ignored the self-righteous tone in her voice as I wrapped my arms around her. The Hufflepuffs surrounding us leaned in excitedly.

"That's why you," I said softly so that only she could hear, "were my last gamble."


End file.
